These are among the requests detailed in this year’s 12 stories about 15 individuals and families from around Central Jersey. These people, your neighbors, just need a little something that is beyond their financial means right now, but will make a huge impact in their lives.
Alexander Lewis, Home News Tribune and Courier News

5th annual Heroes and Helpers event conducted

The 5th annual Heroes and Helpers event was recently held at Target on Route 1 in South Brunswick. The event recognizes some exceptional kids with a special day to honor their accomplishments. The recipients were each selected by their individual school for their outstanding work and character. Each honoree was given a Target gift card and their own personal police officer to accompany them through the store on their shopping spree. Here are the 10 students that were recognized and the schools that nominated them: South Brunswick High School: Richard Jabaery Ellis; Crossroads South Middle: Nicholas Schucman; Crossroads North Middle: Grace Manzino; Brunswick Acres Elementary: Jeylon Billups; Greenbrook Elementary: Jayden Hanis; Cambridge Elementary: Gianna Hackett; Constable Elementary: Tehmel Pittman; Monmouth Junction Elementary: McKenna Caffrey;
Indian Fields Elementary: Robert Cobbs; Brooks Crossing Elementary: Aaliyah Parks. Visit www.southbrunswicknj.gov/departments/police.

New Year Open House

The Gateway Family YMCA branches in Elizabeth, Rahway and Union celebrate 2019 with an open house on Saturday, Jan. 5, and a membership special Wednesday, Dec. 26, through Sunday, Jan. 13. The Gateway Family YMCA branches will be hosting events that are open to the community including family oriented group exercise classes, arts, swimming and basketball, as well as providing senior wellness opportunities. Activities will be held at the Elizabeth Branch, 135 Madison Ave., Elizabeth; Five Points Branch, 201 Tucker Ave., Union; Rahway Branch, 1564 Irving St., Rahway, and Wellness Center Branch, 1000 Galloping Hill Road, Union. For branch specific schedules of events and free classes for the open house, visit www.tgfymca.org.

Frank Lankey(Photo11: ~Courtesy of Magyar Bank)

Lankey recognized

Magyar Bank announced Frank Lankey, community relations specialist, is a recipient of the 2018 New Jersey Bankers Association’s Emerging Leaders Star Award. Lankey received this honor in recognition of his contributions to the banking industry, community involvement and impact on the financial institution they work for. Lankey was one of 15 bankers recognized by the New Jersey Bankers Association at its Emerging Leaders Gala held recently at the Stirling House in Warren. A lifelong resident of Edison, Lankey has been with Magyar Bank since 2014. Visit www.magbank.com.

Blaser named new director for center

Martin Blaser has been appointed as the next director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM) at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Blaser also will be the Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome and Professor of Medicine and Microbiology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Currently, he serves as the Muriel and George Singer Professor of Medicine, professor of Microbiology and director of the Human Microbiome Program at New York University School of Medicine. Blaser will join Rutgers University in late January 2019. Visit http://rbhs.rutgers.edu/.

Freeholder Patricia Walsh, next to wreath, and Sheriff Frank Provenzano, at left, are joined by local veterans, county Veterans Office staff and Sheriff’s Office representatives as a wreath from Wreaths Across America is placed at Veterans Memorial Plaza in Somerville.(Photo11: ~Courtesy of Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders)

Wreath placed at Veterans Memorial Plaza

Somerset County Freeholder Patricia L. Walsh and Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano were joined by local veterans in placing a wreath at Veterans Memorial Plaza on Grove Street in Somerville on Thursday, Dec. 13. Members of Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 27, and representatives from the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office also attended, along with county Veterans Services Director Peter Niemiec and his staff. The wreath had been presented to the county Office of Veterans Services as part of the Wreaths Across America ceremony held the previous day in Montgomery Township. Visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

Armenio named interim president

The board of Literacy Volunteers of Somerset County (LVSC), located in Bridgewater, recently nominated Phil Armenio to serve as its interim president following the death of Martha Davis, LVSC president. Armenio has been serving as the vice president of the LVSC board for the last four years. Call 908-725-5430 or visit www.literacysomerset.org.

Consumers in Enable’s Princeton day program and volunteers from Bloomberg are working on making Build-a-Bears. One bear for the consumer to take home and one to donate to The Children’s Home Society. ~Courtesy of Enable

Volunteers from the Raritan Corporation, as part their Better Communities Volunteer project, recently donated time at four Alternatives properties and also raised $1,680 through a company-wide employee fundraiser to offset some of the costs associated with these projects. Alternatives, Inc. is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals with special needs support themselves, gain self-determination and achieve the highest degree of independence possible within their communities. For more information, visit www.alternativesinc.org or call Alternatives at 908-685-1444, ext. 226. ~Courtesy of Alternatives, Inc.

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57th Annual Celebration Ball

CentraState Healthcare Foundation will host their 57th Annual Celebration Ball, Through the Decades, on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 6 to 11 p.m. at South Gate Manor, 260 South St. in Freehold. Proceeds from this event will support the Rutgers/RWJ Family Medicine Residency Program at CentraState in the new Freehold Family Health Center. Cocktail hour will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner, dancing, and a Viennese hour. Live music will be provided by New Power Soul. This event will include a silent auction, live auction,and the winning ticket for the “A Year of Great Taste Dining Raffle” will be pulled (winner need not be present). Call the Foundation at 732-294-7030, email foundation@centrastate.com, or register online at www.centrastatefoundation.org/specialevents/celebration-ball.

McDonald’s announces policy

McDonald’s recently became the first major fast food chain to establish a comprehensive policy to reduce the use of medically important antibiotics in its beef supply chain. McDonald’s is the world’s largest burger chain and the single largest purchaser of beef in the U.S. Its announcement, committing the company to reduce antibiotics use in 85 percent of the beef it purchases, has transformational implications for the beef industry and for public health. Visit https://www.asyousow.org/our-work/environmental-health/antibiotics-factory-farms.

Website revamped

The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board (GRWDB) has created a more technologically sophisticated workforce delivery system by revamping its website. The redesigned website is just one of GRWDB’s efforts to support economic growth and improve the public-workforce delivery system in Hunterdon and Somerset counties, so that it can better serve residents and businesses with a more accessible and effective means of communication. The website redesign promotes the GRWDB as a strategic partner and valuable resource for local businesses, job-seekers and community partners within the counties. Visit www.TheGRWDB.org.

Conference held on Dec. 6

Ammon Labs hosted its second Police, Treatment and Community Collaborative (PTACC) Pre-Arrest Diversion and Deflection Conference on Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe. More than 100 members from the law enforcement, behavioral health and substance abuse communities attended the event to discuss how PTACC strategies can be used to counter the ongoing opioid crisis on a local level. For more information about PTACC and how you can help bring this initiative to your local community, contact Charles Cardona, director of Corporate Development, Ammon Labs at 908-862-4404. Visit www.ammonlabs.com.

(Left to right) Lindabury’s Executive Vice President Eric B. Levine and Family Law Associate Nicole Kobis, United Way’s Vice President of Programs & Operations Juanita Ayala-Vargas and Director of Marketing & Community Engagement Melanie McLaurin, and Lindabury President David R. Pierce.(Photo11: ~Courtesy of Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C.)

Spreading some holiday cheer

The law offices of Westfield’s Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C., were transformed into Santa’s workshop recently when the firm partnered with The United Way of Greater Union County to provide some holiday cheer to 65 children this holiday season. Lindabury’s “elves” donated and gift-wrapped toys & games for the boys and girls from families affiliated with the Puerto Rican Organization for Community Education and Economic Development (PROCEED, Inc.). Visit www.lindabury.com.

Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli and Union County Undersheriff Dennis Burke joined Monmouth County Undersheriff Michael Donovan, Jr. in congratulating Union County Sheriff’s Officer Nelson Agurto and K-9 Ceasar, Blairstown Police Department Patrolman Richard Herzer and K-9 Caster, and Monmouth County Sheriff’s Officer Devon Mockus and K-9 Harley as they graduated the Union County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Training Academy as part of Classes 18-01 and 18-02 during a ceremony at the Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside.(Photo11: ~Courtesy of Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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